"That was a colossal waste of time... Why the hell am I even going to these therapy sessions?" Asked Derek as he pulled a full whiskey bottle out and started gulping loudly. Lisa just glared at him and put a hand on her hip. "THAT'S why you dumbass. Ever since you got back, you've done nothing but drink enough to kill 5 men a day! And when I ask you to stop, you just say cryptically dark shit like 'Whatever kills me makes me stronger!' like a loner edge lord!" She told him as they got in Silver's jeep. Derek stood up in the back passenger seat as he always did, even though it was illegal, while Lisa sat behind Silver. "We've run out of options it seems... We can always try this new experimental drug that was government-funded... The therapist recommended it." Said Lisa as they sped home." Derek scoffed at the idea "Drugs? Really? You really want me to trust my mental health to a co-dependency?" He asked while sipping more whiskey. Lisa just lowered her eyes at the bottle. "Wouldn't be the first time..." She stated. Darkness finished the bottle and grunted, "Quit judging me for drinking!" He yelled before Lisa smacked the bottle out of his hand. "I'm NOT judging you for drinking! I like to party too! But THIS?! This is just killing yourself to run away from your problems! I just... I want my brother back! The one who carried me on his shoulders when I was down! The one who watched me during my music lessons!" She said frantically, tears streaming down her eyes. Derek just sighed and nodded slowly. "Fine.... if it means that much to you... I'll give this stuff a try." He relented. Lisa wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly as she nodded.
Derek sighed Nervously at the waiting lobby of Pure Mind Solutions with Silver at his side. He was never really told what this 'Neural Nirvana Injection' really did, or how it was supposed to help with his PTSD, but it had the backing of multiple therapists in the area, so he was willing to trust it. "Alright, Mr. Sonata... We are ready to see you now." Said a Tall blonde woman in a black suit with a white robe around her. Derek noted her nametag and nodded. "Yes, Dr. Saryn..." He said as he waved to Silver. "Hope this works!" She told him supportively as he nervously nodded. Derek sighed and sat at an offered chair as he showed his arm. "So uh... Doc.... How exactly does this... work?" He asked apprehensively. Saryn laughed and stepped out of the room, after a few minutes her voice came over the intercom. "Don't worry Mr. Sonata, Neural Nirvana works by routing dopamine into the stressful parts of your brain, with a strong enough reroute, it should push away those awful repressed thoughts!" She said as some medical staff slowly came in and took his arm. Derek braced himself as he felt the thick needle enter his arm. As the syringe emptied into him, he felt a light calming sensation. Derek slowly began to smile as the stressful thoughts subsided. In fact, those thoughts of war felt good. he began to grin wide as he thought about the people he killed like he had the chance to do it all again. He reached out and began punching brutally at the soldiers he saw, with beyond-normal strength. He laughed Maniacally as he gleefully slammed someone's head into the wall repeatedly, leaving a bloody stain on the wall. Finally, he looked down and saw a frightened enemy backing away, he reached out and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him above his head as he grinned even harder. Slowly the drug in his system began to wear off and his eyes widened when he saw the soldier he was holding turned into a panicking Silver. He dropped her quickly and looked around, the 'soldiers' he killed were medical staff... he had killed innocent people while high on a drug he trusted... "I... I'm sorry Silver!" He said as he sprinted off with Silver trying to get him to come back.
Derek sobbed in an abandoned apartment he found shelter in as he looked in the mirror, any of the calming effects the drug gave him were gone, and he felt far worse than ever, but nothing felt worse than the guilt he felt over almost killing his own wife. "Why... Why do I keep messing up?" He screamed into the mirror as he tried once again to drink himself to death. the memory of everything he did started repeating stronger in his mind. "I Just wanted... to be normal again." He grunted as he pulled his Colt 1911 out of his holster and looked at it. "Sorry, Lisa..." He said as he put it to the left side of his head and fired. Everything went black for a as Derek hit the floor, Then slowly he opened his eyes again. "Is this death? I feel better at least." He said as he stood back up and looked in the mirror. Derek had blood from where the bullet had gone, but he noticed far more than that. His sun-damaged face was now clear, and his hair was a vibrant Dark purple. He gasped in astonishment as black tendrils grew from his back. "I.... have Aura! OH MY GOD, I HAVE AURA!" He exclaimed as he put his gun away. "I Gotta tell Lisa and Silver!" He said as he ran off.
Silver was on the phone frantically trying to find where Derek had gone when she saw him sprinting into the house. "You're back!" She said as Derek hugged her. "Yeah! and I Transcended! I have aura now!" He said as he showed off his tendrils and hair. Silver nodded "Amazing! How on earth did you achieve that?" She asked in shock as she looked at him. Derek smiled, "It happened when I shot myself!" He blurted out. Silver felt as though her heart broke. "Y-you tried to kill yourself?!" She asked in a panic. Derek just laughed, "Who cares?! If I knew that's all it took, I would have tried it sooner!" He said in excitement. Silver gasped in shock as tears ran down her once flawless face before she hit him hard in the jaw. "YOU SELFISH BASTARD!" She yelled as he hit a wall from the force of the punch. "WHAT WOULD LISA AND I HAVE DONE IF WE LOST YOU! WHO CARES ABOUT A NEW TRICK?!" She asked as Derek held his jaw. "Oh my god..... I'm sorry..." Said Derek as the clarity finally caught up to him. Silver just hugged him tight and sobbed into the nape of his neck. For the first time in a long time, Silver wasn't flawless, she was a mess.
Derek sighed softly as the weeks passed. With Silver and now Lisa both stressed out over his attempt on his own life, he needed a job to get his mind off things. But with a dishonorable discharge on his record, trust in him was low. Word on the street was that he could get a job as muscle for some rich guy, Derek knew him as Mr. Capryse. The job sounded out of Derek's comfort zone but Derek needed the time away from home, so Derek arranged the meeting as quickly as he could. Mr. Capryse smiled softly as he sipped his coffee, "So Derek Sonata... you come to me asking for a job... Well, I can offer you that!" He said with a grin. Derek was caught off guard almost instantly. "I uh... didn't even say anything... your information is good!" He said nervously. Mr. Capryse just laughed and nodded. "I suppose it is, but anyway let's talk! I need a contract killer! Quick and Efficient! Your military record says you were good at that! Cept the discharge! Think you can do that?" He asked with a grin. There was a long pause before Derek nodded. "Yeah... Yeah, I can." He said confidently. Mr. Capryse nodded and pulled up Derek's Bank information. "SPLENDID! Now first thing's first! You'll need a code name! Ya got one?" He asked curiously. For Derek, there was only one name he could possibly use. The one all his friends gave him so long ago. "It's Darkness." He said firmly. Mr. Capryse nodded and wrote it down. "Edgy! I love it... Welcome aboard DARKNESS! Hope you like coffee, we love it here!" He told him. Darkness just nodded and took a cup. He just eyed himself in the mirror as Mr. Capryse told him about his job. Derek Sonata was gone, all that was left... Was Darkness.
If nothing else, this story shows the profound effects being in the military can have on someone. Hella is right that Derek is too empathetic to have ever done this because he was a mess when he got out. It seems the drug did help him a bit, though.
ReplyDeleteHowever, before he gained these auras, he wanted to end his life. I understand that completely. When you feel there is no way out, you get desperate and don't see the forest for the trees. So while Derek has a lot in his life to be thankful for, he didn't realize this and figured Lisa and Silver would be better off without him.
It's interesting to see Silver beat him up for that. Not sure if it was the suicide attempt or his nonchalant reaction to that almost attempted to take his own life or he's more amazed at his aura.
Nevertheless, Derek Sonata is dead and he's now Darkness, so I guess in a sense, he did kill himself... or killed ties to his lifestyle and past. So not only does this story cover the traumas that come from war but also death in a sense that an old life or lifestyle is dead. I love this. Glad to see these areas explored.
This was an excellent chapter! I enjoyed reading Darkness' journey in finding himself and his old self dying. I stand by what I said that he has too much empathy for the military as he is a mess now and he's desperate to find a way to cope and block out his trauma from those experiences. Hell, he's willing to put his trust into shady medical practices.
ReplyDeleteI feel Derek Sonata died in that room when they adminstered that drug. He turned into something else and something animalistic and beastly. You did an excellent job in your descriptions here and taking us into his warped mind and no sense of reality. This could be seen as an allegory for people who relive their traumatic war flashbacks and can't distinguish between that and reality and the present moment. The moment when he realises its his wife and not a soldier in the war, it hits you like a truck. But this seemed to snap him back into reality again and he became himself again. I wonder what will happen to him now after killing those doctors? I wonder if someone would cover it up or come after him?
I can understand why he would have suicidal ideation. This could be another allegory for some people who return home from their service, sadly. It seems he is at his rock bottom here and feels there's no way out. He's lost too much and is afraid of losing everything else. Ah, so THIS is how he got his powers and hair colour! It's interesting to see this. He literally died as Derek and became reborn into Darkness. I love it.
Silver is understandably hurt that he attempted to end his life. His non-chalant reaction to it would add to that, too. Her approach is interesting as she beats him up, rather than hugs him lol. Darkness is more concerned about his aura.
I also love the bit at the end with the name change too and how he became Darkness. I love how people mock his name as 'edgy' as they absolutely would in the real world! xD I also love the ending line too: "Derek Sonata was gone, all that was left... Was Darkness." This has a double meaning as Darkness is his new name, but also, his life is shrouded in darkness. Excellent job! I loved this and am glad you explored this! I look forward to more!